The present invention is directed to an inexpensive hand-operated earring wire forming device for economically producing earring wires in a Shepherd or French Hook design. The popular Shepherd or French Hook earring wire design comprises an upper open large loop portion that extends through the wearer's ear lobe and a depending, smaller, substantially closed loop portion that is positioned at the outer lower end of the upper loop portion for carrying one or more jewels or other objects of design. A vertical leg portion depends from the inner end of the upper loop portion and terminates in an outwardly inclined end portion. Such an earring wire design is commonly used on expensive as well as costume jewelry and is typically formed by a variety of hand operated and automated machines. The automated earring wire formers are utilized for large production. Unfortunately, however, even hand operated wire forming machines also are relatively complex and thus quite costly. As a result, the cost of manufacturing otherwise inexpensive earrings is significantly increased. This increase becomes substantial in low volume production where the cost of the wire forming machine cannot be justified by reduced labor costs. As a result, for very low volume applications, the earring wires are typically formed using round nose pliers which is a slow process and may not produce consistent results. It would be highly desirable for such low volume applications, if an inexpensive hand-operated forming device were available to reduce the cost of earring manufacture. The present invention provides such a device.